An Angel Learns To Listen
by Marie S Zachary
Summary: When Raphael makes a mistake his guilt is eating up at him. When he seeks forgiveness from the Father and from the offended party he finds it imediately


I don't own TBAA or any of the characters... the first part of my story was copied from Marcie Gore. Marcie Gore if you want me to erase the story just send me a PM and I will respectfully do so

* * *

After they sing Melanie's lullaby, the girls beg Raphael for another song.

"Later, after you're ready for bed," the handsome Hispanic angel replies.

"Besides, it's medicine time for all of you girls," Monica says. All five girls groan.

"Please, one more," Melanie pleads.

"I said later," he repeats, smiling.

Andrew and Monica walk over to the Aspen cabin together, hand in hand. "I am so glad everything worked out," says Andrew.

"So am I," Monica agrees.

Soon they're all back at the cabin and the girls are talking, still stunned that Kim is back.

"We were so worried," Abby admits.

"Yeah, we thought you were dead or dying," says Erin.

"Is that why you pulled that stunt?" Kim asks.

At that, Nikki looked at her. "That's it, you've done it!" she says.

Abby starts to tickle Kim furiously. "I bet your tummy's ticklish," she says.

"No!" Kim yells. "I'm not ticklish!"

"You sure? You do protest too much!" Abby states, grinning at the sight of Kim practically in a ball from the tickling.

"I haven't been ticklish since I was nine," Kim maintains between laughs.

"Sure!" Abby says. "Why're you laughing like a hyena, then, and wiggling all over the bunk?" Kim doesn't have an answer for that so, a gleam in her eye, Abby adds, "Let's see how ticklish your feet are."

"No!" Kim begs. "Please, not my feet!"

"I thought so!" Abby exclaims with a wicked smile. She opens her foot locker and takes out a Native American headdress. "I knew this old thing from third grade would come in handy someday," she says, still smiling. She plucks a red feather from the back and waves it menacingly at Kim.

"I hate to interrupt your getting reacquainted but, time out," Monica says in her soothing Irish lilt. "It's medicine time."

Upon hearing the voice of their good-natured but strict counselor, the girls move back to their bunks like good little campers. They have even more reason to obey her after the events of that evening, having found out that Monica, along with Andrew and Raphael were servants of God – card-carrying angels. This time all the girls toast.

"To new beginnings," Erin says.

"To new beginnings," the rest echo in agreement.

"Here's hoping we can sit before we're thirty!" Abby adds.

"You girls sound better," Monica says. Then, "I need to take the medicine tray back to the Medical cabin."

"I'll take it," Melanie offers.

Monica responds, "OK."

And Melanie says to herself, "I hope Raphael will forgive me."

"Hi, um," Melanie manages to say in a nervous stutter, "I, um, brought back the tray."

"Thanks," Raphael replies, temporarily putting down his guitar. "Let's see – Denver cabin, Rocky Mountain cabin, Boulder cabin, Aspen cabin," he lists, checking the names off. This bit of work done, he picks up his guitar again and starts to play a familiar tune. The young girl listens to her song in silence with tears rolling down her face.

"What's wrong?" asks Raphael.

"I feel guilty about what I did to you, how I used you to get the medicine for the lethal cocktail."

"Tell me what happened," he says gently.

"I only told you my rash was acting up so the other girls could take the medicine," she confesses in a rush.

"I figured that, but I wanted to give you a chance to confess on your own. What you and the other girls did and tried to do was very dangerous and wrong. I'm disappointed in you, so is God, but we both still love you," Raphael says, his eyes stinging with tears. "Because we love you, you're going to have to be punished. The other girls will be punished, too, for their part in this. What you did hurt me and the others more than you could know, not only as angels, but as your friends." After a pause, he adds, "I need to think for a little while. Stay here."

A few minutes later, Raphael finally says, "Melanie, you've earned a spanking." He then sits down, waiting for her reaction, and studies the girl's features and body language.

"But I'm twelve, almost thirteen, too old to be spanked!" she moans.

He smiles comfortingly and says, "You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard that from a kid I've worked with."

"Oh?" Melanie encourages, curious.

"My first case after I returned to case work, I was in crisis management for a while, posing as a college intern at a day care with several kids with behavior problems. One of the kids, Randy, was a special pal of mine, a little four-year-old boy who looked like Dennis the menace. We'd read and color and make things with clay. He was prone to bad anger outbursts. One day, Randy threw the teacher's favorite mug against the wall, breaking it. I was on duty, and the teacher was letting me solo, so I had to handle the punishment on my own. I reluctantly put the little guy over my lap and spanked him."

"That kid was four, I'm twelve," Melanie reminds him.

"Well, I have another story," he says. "I had an Assignment at a girls' home," he starts. "The residents were age ten to seventeen. They hadn't committed crimes; the girls' parents just couldn't handle them for whatever reason. There was one girl," he continues, "she was thirteen. Her name was Kathleen – or 'Wild Cat' to her group of friends. During a surprise bed check, I caught her trying to sneak out the window, for the third time that week. This time she had a pack of cigarettes, another rule violation. When I confronted her I found out she had beer and ecstasy tablets."

"What'd she look like?" Melanie asks to buy time.

"Well, she looked like a younger, wilder version of Monica – and I know what you're doing, stalling!" Raphael laughs, then goes on, "Anyway, I put her across my lap and spanked her. The headmistress suggested a paddle, but I preferred to just use my hand. Miss Henderson teased me for not wanting to use the paddle on her even though Kat had broken several rules."

"So she got a spanking?" asks Melanie.

"Yes, and she forgave me," the angel says meaningfully.

"How bad did I mess up?" Melanie asks him then. "Have I condemned my soul?"

"No, the Father knows you're sorry," Raphael assures her. Then he takes out the rarely-used camp paddle and the rulebook and studies them both.

"Do I still have to be spanked?" Melanie asks.

"I'm sorry, but yes. Now bend over and hold onto the guide rail," he says.

"Yes sir," Melanie says. "Did you call my foster parents?" she asks, possibly hoping for a reprieve.

"Yes, that is the next step," he says, looking up the number for the Huggins', her guardians.

"No" Mrs. Huggins says, "that is not an option."

Raphael was shocked.

"No. What do you mean no."

"Melanie was abused by both her biological parents and her boyfriend. Our motto is no spanking no punishment"

"In that case how would you like her to be disciplined?"

"Well you can talk to her," Mrs. Huggin's suggested, "and you can tell her what else she could have done"

Raphael sighed as he got off the phone with Mrs. Huggin's.

"You're foster mom said no," he told her. She nodded. She wasn't surprised.

Tears filled his eyes.

"Oh come on," she says. "You can't be that disappointed." She grins.

"I'm not disappointed," he explained, "I'm furious with myself".

"You're furious with yourself? Why?"

"I was furious with myself because I didn't do what I was supposed to do? As a case worker angel one of the first things I was told was that I needed to listen. You've been suffering from depression and you've gone through so much. I didn't even bother to ask you about that. I just assumed you were being difficult"

Melanie put an arm around Raphael

"Don't you remember what you told me about how the Father loves me even when I do something wrong?"

"Of course. He does. He has loved you before you were born. He still loves you and he will always love you"

"Well I have some thoughts but I'll share them with you tomorrow. My point is that making mistakes is normal. Don't beat yourself up over it"

Raphael stared openmouthed at her. This 12 year old was speaking more mature then he was thinking.

"Maybe you should be the angel," Raphael said half laughing half serious.

He then sent her to see the camp therapist. He figured that could help her. Then he spoke to the father.

"Father I don't know what happened to me"

"You were angry. You were upset. You were hurt"

"But I didn't listen. The FIRST THING TESS told me to do was listen to my clients-"

"You should have," the Father said, "but you still just made a mistake is all."

"Can you forgive me?"

The Father smiled and spoke softly, "I already have"

"Thank you Father," he said, "I'll never let you down again."

"Of course you will," the Father said, "and every time you do I will forgive you"


End file.
